Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo. In this issue, VIATEC links up with UVic’s Gustavson Business School, Jason Morehouse announces a new venture, Dan Gunn and Bruce Williams have Chamber Chats, and plenty more.

Now, onto today’s briefing. It’s 840 words, a three-minute read.

-James, @jimmermatthews

Come along on a Victoria tech field trip

On September 8, VIATEC had 75 houseguests. But the crop wasn’t after hors d'oeuvres or party games — lessons in entrepreneurship were on the agenda. The aspiring entrepreneurs from UVic converged on 777 Fort Street for an immersive industry orientation. And their hosts did not disappoint.

Leading the session was Dan Gunn, VIATEC’s CEO, who sought to enrich their understanding of the dynamic tech community with a wealth of facts and knowledge. Joining Gunn on this quest was VIATEC’s member experience coordinator Rebecca Blaser and COO Rob Bennett. The team worked closely with UVic as it hosted the students, all of whom hailed from the Gustavson Business School.

Bennett detailed that one of the faculty members there, Mia Maki, reached out to VIATEC in the hopes of connecting the students with the local technology industry. The aim was to reinforce the three Gustavson Business School pillars: innovation, sustainability, and equity. For VIATEC, this was a natural fit.

“We do a lot of work in all three of those areas,” Bennett said. “Innovation is even covered in the name [VIATEC stands for Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology, and Entrepreneurship Council]. For sustainability, in fact, we've got a green-certified building. And diversity, equity, and inclusion is definitely one part of our strategy — trying to increase diversity within the tech sector and the community in general.”

Despite the natural fit, this was a first-time event, so there was some figuring-out to do, Bennett said.

“This is 75 students all at one time in our building,” he pointed out. “So we were thinking we could maybe pull off a VIATEC 101 session. Dan [Gunn] does this pretty regularly. But, with a group that large, it would just be hours of talking in one place.”

The team decided to break the students into groups of 25. That way, learning would be more concentrated. VIATEC called on the Victoria tech community to support. To provide insights, but also as an example of those three Gustavson Business School pillars, a pair of alumni-turned-entrepreneurs (or soon-to-be grads) were also on hand.

Read the full recap in our Scaleup Story Series.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

⛵ Open Ocean Robotics’ big year continues: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has chosen the local aquatech company as one of the awardees for all three Multiple Award IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity) contracts.

📈 Jason Morehouse’s big year continues: After his company, Checkfront, merged with not one but two other outfits, Morehouse announced the launch of his new venture, Hi Boop: a mental health care startup.

🎙️ The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce continues Chamber Chats: A recent episode of the podcast featured Dan Gunn, the CEO of VIATEC, in conversation with Chamber CEO Bruce Williams.

👩‍💼 Victoria tech moves

Major personnel changes, including promotions, hires, and departures:

• Kristin Taylor was named interim CFO of IPA.

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🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Software Developer at Airble

• Accounting Technician at Westin Bear Mountain

• Enhanced Executive Support Analyst - Temporary at ISM

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

September 29 | PNW Climate Week - Victoria Social: ​​Passionate about Climate Action? Whether you're at the forefront of climatetech or looking for ways to support sustainability and climate efforts, this is your moment.

September 28 | 2023 VIATEC’s Annual General Meeting of Members And Call for Nominations to the Board of Directors: The AGM will see the announcement of the organization’s newest board members, with networking to follow at Unthinkable Thursday.

Oct 4 | Checkfront's Global Merger: A Fireside Chat: Join Checkfront's leadership team as they discuss their startup journey and merger with Rezdy and Regiondo.

Oct 12 | ITSM x AI: The Power of Artificial Intelligence: Join Highway Three Solutions for an afternoon dedicated to unleashing the power of Artificial Intelligence in IT Service Management. The event will provide insights, client success stories, and networking opportunities in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

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